I was recently in Dallas, Texas on business and had the opportunity to spend a few hours at the Fort Worth Stockyards. It was a lovely afternoon for a wander before we meet some other colleagues for dinner.
These stockyards were originally the largest in the southwest USA; now it’s a 125 acres of restaurants, hotels, shopping and entertainment with more than 2 million visitors a year.
We spent most of time in the Stockyards Station which is primarily shops with a few restaurants. Some very nice stores in the Station but also some of the usual tacky tourist shops. What makes this place particularly interesting is that the train pulls right into the middle of the station. You can board the vintage 1896 train in Grapevine for an hour and half ride to the station.
If you’re so inclined, you can go to the visitor centre and take a guided walking tour of the Stockyards, which will include the Texas Trail of Fame. Without a tour guide, most of the names didn’t mean anything to me but there were a few that I recognized.
What I missed at the Stockyards that I really wanted to see was the cattle drives. Twice daily cowboys drive a herd of longhorn cattle through the area. Maybe next trip!
Our evening ended with dinner at the popular Riscky’s BBQ. Mixed reviews on the food but the staff were efficient and friendly. Ambiance was what we were looking for — Texas BBQ!
My husband, youngest son and I just visited the Stockyards in Fort Worth/Grapevine, Tx area just this past weekend. We all three was just amazed at the historical value of the place, not to mention all of the shops, restaurants and so many things to do/see. We definitely will be making a trip there again when we get back up that away. It was absolutely memorizing and beautiful with all of the history at hand in the facility.